Book Cult (New and Improved)

Leo XXXV

"Leo XXXV," Thalia began with a slight frown.

I guess I won't be seeing Jason's reaction after all. she sighed.

"Can I go stretch walk around or something? I think my legs are falling asleep!" Leo complained, bouncing said limb. When was the last time we took a break? Can't we just take another one?

Thalia rolled her eyes.

"No." Zeus said.

Drumming his fingers on the wall, Leo sighed.

Leo figured he had the worst luck in the group, and that was saying a lot.

"It can't be that bad... Not as bad as mine." Percy said.

"If my luck was better than yours, I wouldn't be here." Leo stated. 

Why didn't he get to have the long-lost sister or the movie star dad who needed rescuing?

A couple people looked at him oddly.

"I don't think you'd really want that." Katie told Leo.

"It's still better than what I got..." Leo muttered, stretching his arms.

He began to count the number of cracks on the ceiling.

All he got was a tool belt and a dragon that broke down halfway through the quest...

The Hephaestus kids winced.

"Don't think of it like that..." Jake said.

A thousand years from now, when this quest was being told around a campfire, he figured people would talk about brave Jason, beautiful Piper, and their sidekick Flaming Valdez...

"At least they'll mention you!" Connor tried to joke.

Leo shrugged. "That's true, I guess."

If that wasn't bad enough, Leo fell in love with every girl he saw—as long as she was totally out of his league. Thalia grimaced. Poor Phoebe. I hope he doesn't bother her too much...

Leo cringed. Oh yeah, of course this would come up.

Aphrodite perked up.

"Oooooh! I smell a forbidden romance!" the goddess sang before laughing.

Some of the demigods (and Apollo) laughed along as well, although they seemed to think something else was funny.

He followed their gazes and winced when he noticed the seething expressions on the hunters faces.

Artemis especially looked livid.

"The only thing you smell is the overpriced perfume you drowned yourself in this morning!" the goddess snapped at Aphrodite. Aphrodite payed her no mind as she continued cackling to herself. Artemis sneered at her one last time, before scowling at Leo.

"And as for you, boy," the goddess said sternly. Leo gulped. "If you know what's good for you, stay away from my hunters!"

"Don't be like that, Artie!" Apollo chuckled, wrapping his arm around his sister's shoulders.

"Don't call me that." Artemis shrugged the arm off.

"He hasn't even done anything yet!" the god defended.

"Yet!" Aphrodite emphasized, wiggling her eyebrows.

Artemis loaded her arrow and aimed it at the goddess's head.